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Description

While working on a project that required an specific actuator, I realized the linear actuator market is not very maker friendly when it comes to customization and cost. In trying to find a solution, I decide to make my own instead and came up with a modular actuator system that's lower cost, super customizable and adds a bunch of other benefits to fit the exact needs I have.

I'm calling this project "Maker Muscle" and this is the first public posting of this new invention in which I would like to keep things open and hopefully get some great feedback from the community to make it awesome.

Main Features:
- Fully customizable to almost any Length, Power/Speed, Motor
- Lower cost than any custom actuator you can find.
- T-Slots on all sides for infinite mounting options
- Easy to upgrade or replace parts
- Add only what you need to make your perfect actuator.
- Get features only previously available in super expensive industrial versions.

Details

The Quick Story:

Back a few years ago, I built a 3d scanning rig for my 3D printing store in Pasadena (Seen here with Metalnat). The purpose was to offer 3d selfies and then 3d print them (as we did at Hack-A-Day's 10th Anniversary party, room with green windows on right in the timelapse http://hackaday.com/2014/10/11/hackaday-10th-anniversary-wrap-up/). Eventually people kept asking me if they can buy it, and so last year I started working on a more portable (the current one was 2 meters tall, not easy to travel with) and sturdy one to offer on Kickstarter.

In the process of designing it, I came to a part where I wanted a nice looking, smooth and precise actuator to move an arm. After shopping around a lot, I realize that adding an actuator like what I needed was actually going to cost more than the whole rig it self...and I still wouldn't have the specifics I needed.

This gave me the idea to explore what it would take to create an amazing actuator while having it be much cheaper than getting some custom ones made (that were literally quoted above $1200 each!)

When I started, I made a list for myself of the features I wanted in the actuator and integrated them into the design. After some research, 3d printing some body housings shapes, and testing, I came up with the Maker Muscle concept.

I then went to a few friends that are actively working with robotics and got some amazing feedback. The great thing was that they asked me when they can get some Maker Muscles for their own projects... I said "soon my friends..."

Being able to upgrade or change parts on an actuator, without buying a whole new one, I think is a critical feature to have. Modularity would save both time and money in a situation where you have an actuator already installed on something specific, but you just want to swap out the motor or a mounting bracket.

This is where the motor mount plates and attachments will come into play. As of now, you can install everything from steppers motors like NEMA 14, NEMA 17, NEAM 23 to almost any DC motor, with or without gearboxes.

I understand some Makers have a variety of motors they love to work with or maybe some robot contest have rules on the motor types, so with the Maker Muscle, you can turn your favorite motor into an actuator.

3. Must be lower cost.

Creating a standard for mounting and fittings allows for more universal options that would be cheaper to produce. Starting with the main core aluminum extrusion, the features i design into it will allow a huge of cheap options to mount things on to it.

4. Must allow many mounting option with T-Slots.

I love T-Slots. The Bukito 3D printer we designed in 2013 was a great example of how T-slots can be used to reduce parts and also give you the option to tweak or add more things with little effort.

So on the Maker Muscle, I thought that having T-slots on the outside would open up a world of creative mounting options that I think Makers and take advantage of in new ways never done before.

Here's some progress on the drive nut that's going to be made with injection molding process in solid Dupont Delrin (AKA acetal) plastic material. This will give the drive nut good strength and a more wear resistance.

Injection molding filling heat simulation to visualize the flow of the plastic timing.

Only a few hours left on the Kickstarter campaign, so If you want to get in on the deals, there's only 1 day left and we are at 96%. Help us meet the goal and fund this project. I have the original 3D scanner robot in the works that was the inspiration of the Maker Muscle, and if it gets funded by tomorrow, it'll be done better and much faster! Help spread the word on the last hours of the Maker Muscle Kickstarter. Thanks!

Picture below is the current progress on the 3D scanner using the Maker Muscle. It's going to be telescoping and much lighter the my previous iteration. Still a few more pieces to design, but it's coming out nice.

The project title refer to it as "open". Besides the extrusion that is custom made, are the part files and drawing publicly available? I was looking at standard 40x0 extrusion instead of the custom one, Have you ever tried/consider some 40x40 extrusion?

I'm going to post the parts as soon as I'm happy with them and are in a more finalized state for production. I have a few folks trying them out to see if I have to tweak anything, but yes, they will be published here sometime after the Kickstarter.

It's for several reasons, but a couple is that I wanted to get feedback from the general market and second, to raise enough funds be able to make the other parts which cost quite a bit to get molds made. I want most parts to be Acetal (Delrin) injection molded so they can be strong and durable. If you just get the "Core" reward, it'll be delivered pretty fast.